Story 4 – Divine Helper
When a man learned of the King, he left everything behind everything he had besides the clothes he was wearing and a map to the King’s Kingdom. Because he had left everything, he was only able to eat and drink when he found something he could consume. He tried to ask other travelers for help, but none would help him until he came across one with a covered face who gave him food and drink.
“Thank you, kind sir,” he said to the silent man.
The silent man nodded then headed off in the opposite direction.
“Oh, wait! Do you know about the King? I am heading in the direction of His glorious Kingdom and you should too. He’s sure to bless you especially when I tell Him of your charity.”
The silent man turned around, patted the man’s head then kept traveling in his own direction.
Unsure of what to think of the silent man’s response, the man kept walking. He became tired and decided to rest during the night. While he rested, bandits along with their dogs attacked him and stole what little possessions he had. This did not keep him from traveling as he got up and kept going. He traveled until he came across a masked soldier with blood on his clothes, sword, and shield and the bodies of the bandits and dogs around him. The masked soldier handed the man his clothes and map then walked away.
“Wait! I must thank you in some way for the kindness you have shown me. I am traveling to the King’s Kingdom. Come with me and I will tell the King of your great deeds. He is sure to reward you handsomely for it.”
Just like the silent man, the soldier responded by patting the man’s head in silence and heading off in his own direction. Again, the man is unsure of what to think. He only assumed that patting someone’s head in silence was a strange custom that he had not heard about. Nevertheless, he kept on going. The man traversed a mountain and fell when he took a wrong step. He cried out for help only to be met with silence. Undeterred, he crawled his way up the mountain where he was met with a doctor with a crow mask who helped him up the mountain and healed his injuries. After helping him, the doctor went his own way.
“Wait, my friend! You should travel with me to the King’s Kingdom! A deed such as yours deserves a reward.”
Just like the other two, the doctor patted the man’s head before he walked off. The man did not let his confusion hold him in place for long as he arrived at the gates of the Kingdom to catch the King arriving back to it as well.
He got on his knees and said, “My King, I have traveled long and far to be with You. Please, grant me the privilege of being your humble servant.”
The King silently patted the man’s head and lifted him up from his feet. An idea came to the man’s head and as he was about to say it, the silent man, masked soldier, and doctor with a crow mask that he met along the way arrived at the Kingdom. He could only then assume that the King’s example was mirrored by His servants to the point where they appeared to be Him. There is a similar tale of this happening. This tale involves a healer who wore a dove mask and traveled the lands healing people’s bodies and souls and who would direct people to the King’s Kingdom.
He almost seemed to be divine, but since most of the people who encountered him did not have a strong belief in divinity, they could only say he was the most skilled doctor in the world. Others doubted his divinity because he was found among the worst of sinners. He helped the prostitutes, the drunkards, the blasphemers, the bankers, the politicians, and the like. Since he was so popular, the sinners tried to get him to join them, but he refused. When they tried to force him to join, the blood within them would boil as they slowly died.
After one day of healing, a blind homeless man heard him walking his way. The homeless man reached out to him and was healed almost instantaneously.
Despite being healed, the homeless man asked the Divine Doctor, “Please, heal me of my weakness. Help me to be like You.”
Before the man knew it, he was in the King’s Kingdom. The citizens of the Kingdom wondered how the homeless man arrived in the Kingdom in his condition and asked him how he did it.
“A Divine Doctor performed His miracles on me,” the homeless man answered. The King entered the Kingdom and the homeless man pointed to Him and said, “There He is!”
The King allowed the man to run up to Him and kiss the ground He stepped on.
“Praise to the King of All!” the homeless man proclaimed.
In another story, a sinful man found himself in jail and on death row. Days before his execution, the prisoner was given a man who volunteered to spend his last days with. This volunteer wore a black cloth on his head and mouth, red cloth on his body that is formed in the shape of the cross, and black rugged pants.
Amused by the volunteer’s charity, the prisoner asked, “Why would you volunteer to spend my last days with me?”
“Someone has to. Hasn’t a priest come here to ask for your final confession?”
“No. They don’t think I’m worth it nor do I. I’m not worth anything because of what I’ve done.”
“That’s not true. I’m sure God will hear your prayer for forgiveness if you are humble.”
“You think so? Heh. I doubt it.”
For the next couple of days, the volunteer became friends with the prisoner. The prisoner was taught everything about God’s goodness, mercy, and love for mankind.
“Really? Does God love each one of us as if there were only one of us?” the prisoner asked.
“Yes, that’s true.”
The prisoner was captivated by the knowledge the volunteer told him. Never in his imagination did he think he would be interested in hearing basic theology and philosophy.
By the time of his execution, the prisoner regretted all his decisions and the volunteer helped him make a confession to God, but by the time of his execution, the guards took the volunteer rather than the prisoner.
“Wait, what are you doing?” the prisoner asked.
“What does it look like? We’re taking the prisoner to be executed,” the guard said.
The volunteer silently nodded towards him as they were separated as the prisoner was set free while the volunteer was executed. Seeing that he could do nothing, the prisoner could only watch as the volunteer was executed in his place. After the execution, the prisoner went to where the volunteer’s body was buried to see that the gravesite was guarded. The prisoner went back and forth to offer prayers and flowers for the volunteer until the third day when he saw that the guards were asleep at the gate and the volunteer’s body was gone. As soon as he left the gravesite, he found the volunteer waiting for him.
“What? How are you alive?” the prisoner asked.
“What do you mean? I never truly died,” the volunteer responded.
His mind could not believe what he was seeing in front of him and yet he believed. The volunteer appeared to be heavenly and everything that the volunteer told him previously led the prisoner to one conclusion.
“What are you doing?” the volunteer asked as the prisoner was taking off his black cloth on his head.
“I have to see the face of God to pay Him my respects for everything He’s done for me. For everything, you have done for me,” the prisoner responded.
But when the cloth was removed, the prisoner saw an ordinary man.
“I’m not God, but I am a servant of His. I can lead you to His Kingdom if you wish.”
“Yes, please lead me to Him.”
The two went to the King’s Kingdom where the prisoner became a truly free man by becoming one of the King’s most loyal servants.
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